An Historical Atlas of Staffordshire

Within its ancient boundaries, Staffordshire is a county of diverse and contrasting historic landscapes. The two major conurbations of the Black Country and the Potteries that now dominate the county co-exist with smaller towns that in their day had similar standing as centres of the Mercian state. The county's world-renowned industrial complexes based on ceramics and the metalware trades, products of the industrial revolution and before, sit alongside agricultural systems embracing both arable and grassland specialisms. In the built environment, castles rub shoulders with the meanest of urban-industrial housing, and religious expressions range from the cathedral centre of a vast diocese to the humble and widespread well-dressing ceremonies. The overtly planned landscapes of Needwood Forest and the gardens of Alton Towers mingle with the seemingly natural appearances of the uplands of the Moorlands and the heathlands of Cannock Chase.

These many and varied landscapes are both products and reflections of a multiplicity of histories. Students of the county have been keen to explore and relate these pasts. However, no systematic attempt has been made to express these accounts in spatial form. For the first time, this book seeks to demonstrate by maps the various histories that contribute to the diversity of Staffordshire. With its succinct discussions and detailed map presentations of these themes, incorporating new thinking and recent research, the atlas provides an innovative and major contribution to the study of the history of Staffordshire.